Will County Forest Preserve takes over Bolingbrook nature center, trout farm

The Forest Preserve District of Will County finalized the purchase of the 33-acre Hidden Oaks Nature Center and Hidden Lakes Trout Farm in Bolingbrook.

The Hidden Oaks, Hidden Lakes site is located just south of the forest preserve’s Whalon Lake preserve, according to a news release. A DuPage River Trail boardwalk, completed in 2015, connects the two sites.

Ralph Schultz, the district’s executive director, said the acquisition will have a tremendous impact on what the district can offer residents in northern Will County.

“Almost all our programs and events are free to the public and we’re thrilled at the chance to bring additional programming closer to home for the residents of Bolingbrook and surrounding communities,” Schultz said in a statement.

The district purchased the site for $2.7 million from the Bolingbrook Park District, which sought to reduce its long-term bond and interest debt. The sale of the site guarantees it will be kept open for public use by a larger organization with more resources.

The lakes, which consist of four small fishing ponds north of the nature center, will reopen this summer, according to the release. The preserve will be open seasonally, 8 a.m. to sunset from April 1 through October 31. The forest preserve will continue to stock the lakes.

Hidden Oaks Nature Center, located at 419 Trout Farm Road, is around 7,000 square feet. It serves as a central access area to local and regional trail system, and features a large pavilion with a fireplace, an outdoor amphitheater, a green roof and historical and nature exhibits.

The nature center will reopen this summer Wednesdays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sundays from noon to 4 p.m.

The site will be free, but those who fish on the lakes must have a state fishing license.

A new bait shop could be under construction in the spring and be completed by the summer. It will be twice the size of the old bait shop and will include a public bathroom, a storage room and an overhang to shelter customers.